Leverage
by MyosotisAngel
Summary: Haymitch lied when he said President Snow had nothing to use against him. But he didn't want Katniss to realize how deep his loyalty to her and her family really went. Haymitch-centric. Slight-AU. T for language, themes, and substance abuse.


"But he knew he had no leverage to use against me."*

Another lie. I feel a flash of guilt as it leaves my lips to reach the girl who deserves at least this bit of truth from me. But I don't recant my statement.

Finnick, unfortunately, overheard our conversation and strides—well, it's more of a confused toddle—over to where I still stand, Katniss having already left. The brat is probably going to bitch at me for my latest deception.

"Snow didn't have anyone to use against you, eh?"

"Didn't you just hear me tell this to Katniss? It certainly _appears_ that you were sticking you dirty little nose in our conver—"

"You told me otherwise," Finnick states. Why does _he_ sound so irritated? "So you're lying to one of us."

"Why does it matter, anyway? You have enough secrets under your belt—no pun intended—already, don't you?" I can't help it. My tongue is a whip barbed with the most painful of thorns. "Or are you still not done running your 'business'?"

I'm such a bastard and most people would storm away cursing if I ever said something like that to them. But stupid Finnick has known me for ten years now and has built up immunity to my cruelty.

It still hurts him, though; I watch his face turn a shade paler, which I didn't think was possible at the moment. "Unless you're _that_ desperate for a lay, Haymitch, I'm sorry to inform you that I am a few months out of practice," he replies, his voice cool and calm. "However, I will accept payment in advance; got anything you're unwilling to share with others?"

Asshole. "No."

He lifts an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you mention your half-brother to Katniss?"

I breathe in slowly, trying to head off the memories before they come at me. (Where the hell is a bottle?) But it's too late, and my brain is bombarded by painful memories.

"_Hey, 'Mitch!"_

Chase. Black curls and dark eyes. A lover by birth; a fighter by circumstance. Chase, who was two years my younger, yet ten years the wiser. Chase, who breathed the woods and always smelled like trees and water. The daredevil boy that was terrified at the thought of dying underground, in those awful mines. The headstrong boy with a sharp tongue and a quick smile. Who sang to the birds and whistled as he walked. My fool of a best friend that dared to fall in love with the healers' only daughter and, with her, had two girls of his own.

Chase Everdeen, the product of my father's—_our_ father's—affair. One that neither my mother, nor Chase's surrogate father, ever knew about.

"That idiot boy never even knew about his relation to me," I snap. "Why should she?"

Finnick raises an eyebrow. "Because she asked," he says simply. "She asked you if the Capitol used you like they did me, and you lied and said they couldn't because they had no one to use against you. But you were used. And they used your half-brother as leverage, didn't they?"

"And what was I supposed to say to her? 'Sorry I didn't mention it before, but your father was the bastard spawn of my cheating father and your cheating grandmother, which makes me your uncle?'" I roll my eyes. "Do you really think that would've ended well, Finnick?"

He doesn't answer, just stares at me with those unnerving sea-colored eyes. I want to hit him so bad, it hurts me not to. I settle for being a jerk. "Go tie some knots and cry some more. Get the hell away from me, little bitch."

That should have drove him away, pushed him far enough to hate me forever. Instead, I watch as he gains a little color and the smallest of smiles forms on his lips as he mouths the words "little bitch".

"You haven't called me that in over a year," he says softly. "Here I was thinking that you had lost all affection for me, 'Mitch."

"_Why're you calling me by name? Gone and decided to hate me now, 'Mitch?"_

"The name's _Hay_mitch, stupid." I turn and walk away, trying to escape. Wanting desperately to find a bottle to drown my sorrows. "No one's called me 'Mitch in years."

**A/N: Basically, Haymitch's father and Chase's mother had an affair. Chase Everdeen was born. Since it says everyone in the Seam looked alike, no one realized who his father really was, not even his mother's husband. So they pretended he wasn't Mr. Abernathy's son. How Haymitch found out is up to you (unless you really want to know what I think).**

**Haymitch must have had friends before the Games, so it really isn't a stretch that he cut all ties with the half-brother who didn't even know they were related, really. It's possible he didn't even know the names of his own nieces. He didn't want people hurt because of him. (And, yes, the Capitol knew/suspected of his kinship with Chase, and Haymitch was sold like Finnick.)**

**R&R. Critcism appreciated. Flames...not so much.**

*Quote from Mockingjay pg 173


End file.
